


Nigel

by uhnonniemiss



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Holiday Fic Exchange, Hot Chocolate, I hope this is everything you wanted!, Kissing, M/M, Post-Canon, Snow, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-09 09:59:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5535641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uhnonniemiss/pseuds/uhnonniemiss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A  particularly harsh snowstorm has brought the boiler- and Hermann- to a standstill.</p><p>(My piece for the 2015 Pacrim Holiday Swap!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nigel

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my Pacrim Holiday Exchange gift for earthstained!  
> The prompt was "The characters hanging out, maybe they’ve been snowed in? Also if hot chocolate and/or monster movies are involved that would be amazing."  
> I hope you like it :) and I hope everybody reading this has a wonderful holiday season, I love you all <3  
> (PS 10 festive points to people who spot my movie reference ahaha)

"What are you doing?" Newt said to the pile of blankets on the couch.

Hermann poked his head out from underneath the thick winter duvet, just enough to reveal a scowl and a tuft of hair. "Attempting to keep warm. As much as I can in this godforsaken arctic wasteland." He made to retreat under the blankets again, until Newt slid in next to him, making Hermann flinch at the cold. Their breath hung, silver, in the air after each exhale, and there were icicles on the insides of the fucking windows.

"You know," Newt grinned, "If you just let me play around with the boiler…"

"Absolutely not," Hermann looked at him sharply.

"Said the theoretical physicist to the guy with two engineering degrees!"

" _Musical and chemical,_ Newton, don't you dare go near that boiler. Not after last time-"

Newt pouted. "Geez, can't a guy cause a minor explosion in his own home anymore? Fine, but you're gonna have to freeze your butt off for the next few days. I'm pretty sure Mr Tumnus wouldn't brave that snow, let alone our landlord." He rested his head on Hermann's shoulder, tucking his feet underneath him. He liked the fact that Hermann had noticed the fleecy, oversized hoodie Newt wore was definitely Hermann's old _X-files_ one. He also liked the fact he didn't complain about it, or bother to hide his smiles anymore.

Hermann sighed. "Move to Boston, you said," lips curling upwards as Newt launched a pillow at him. "It will be _great_ , you said."

"Hey! You're German! You should be able to deal with colder weather than this, _fake fan_." Newt pressed his cold fingers against Hermann's cheek, laughing as a cat-like shiver ran through him.

"A German with a solid and dependable central heating system," Hermann pointed out, batting Newt away and throwing off the blankets to pad, triple-socked, into the kitchen. "How are you alright with this temperature? I'm practically a lump of ice already."

"My mother was half space heater," Newt flopped over the arm of the couch. "And I think I could dig that, you know? I'm a pretty versatile guy. Will you make me a grilled cheese?"

"Make it yourself!"

"See? You're frosty enough already. Please make me a grilled cheese." He turned on the puppy eyes, hoping they'd resonate through the walls.

"I'm not frosty, I'm just relatively British. It's my right. And we're out of bread."

"What?" Newt leaped up and followed Hermann into the kitchen. "What sort of self respecting household doesn't have bread? We're both terrible housewives."

Hermann turned round from his position at the stove, where the milk was still starting to boil. The tassels of an over-long, over-worn scarf trailed on the checkered tiles behind him. He levelled a spoon at Newt. "You're the housewife. And ours, apparently, unless you want to go out and get some." He nodded to the window over the sink- it was pretty useless at the moment, considering the only thing visible were blurred snowflakes caught on the wind. If you narrowed your eyes it almost looked like television static.

"You know what? I can live without." Newt came up behind Hermann, wrapping his arms around his waist and clutching the woolen fabric. He buried his face into his neck. "Hello."

He could almost feel Hermann's smile, at this point. "Hello. What are you doing?"

Newt pressed his lips in gentle butterflies on his partner's skin. "Warming you up?" It was working, too- he could feel Hermann's skin heating as it flushed red.

"O-oh. Well, I suppose that's- I need it, at the moment, with the weather, yes," he cleared his throat. "Not that this is- uh- unpleasant otherwise."

"You're adorable."

Hermann shrugged him off. "You're an idiot."

"I try to be. What are you making?"

"Hot chocolate- don't worry, yours is on too. Can you get the mugs?"

"Oh! Dude, you should totally add some paprika to it." Newt's eyes went wide, and he bounced up to the balls of his feet, grabbing two mugs from a nearby shelf. Hermann looked at him, dubious. "No no no, trust me! I was roomies with this Hungarian guy a few years back. It was mid February and I'd got hold of a Bunsen burner at 2am- anyway, honestly, add a little paprika and some cloves, I swear it's the best thing, not firey at all-"

Hermann narrowed his eyes. "I know you resent me bringing up your history of culinary _incidents_ , Newton, but I think this is a reasonable time to mention them."

"Wh-" Newt tried and failed to lean nonchalantly against the worktop. His glasses started to slip down his nose. "Culinary incidents, I can't recall…"

"That time with the tofu."

"That was a misunderstanding!"

Hermann started to stir in the hot chocolate powder. "That time with the frying pan."

"That wasn't what it looked like!" Newt whined.

"That time you dumped garlic in my-"

"That worked out fine! What were you saying before about me being a genius in chemistry? Can we go back to that?"

"I absolutely never said that," Hermann said, but reached for the spice rack. "This is my friendly reminder that I am not a cartoon character, and I won't be warmed up by steam blowing out of my ears."

Newt grinned. "Oh ye of little faith. Anyway, what about that one time you tried to make marshmallows?"

The tips of Hermann's ears went red as he busied himself with pouring the mixture. "I don't want to talk about it."

"See!" Newt squawked, triumphant. "Ring ring, call for Mr Pot, it's Mr Kettle on the line!"

"You're a ridiculous man. Drink your satan beverage." He took a sip, face turning thoughtful.

Newt grinned "Uh, I think you mean _Santa_ , dude. Whatever, do you like it?" Hermann said nothing, staring down into his _Sith Happens_ mug (Newt's gift) as he took a second tentative sip. "You do, don't you? Admit it. I win."

"...I wasn't aware this was a competition."

Newt patted his arm consolingly. "Of course it isn't, honey, but if it were I would totally smoke your ass. You like it."

"I don't find it… _entirely_ disgusting, which is more than I can say for you," Hermann scowled, defeated.

"Mmm, okay," Newt smiled softly, using his free hand to reach for Hermann's. "I'm so gross. That's why when I do this," he leaned forward, closing the distance until their mouths brushed together. Hermann smelled like chocolate and a distant spice, his lips chapped and rough from the cold. "It's completely terrible, right?"

Hermann tilted his head, leaning against the kitchen surface. "Positively awful. Come back here, let me make sure."

"But my victory will go cold," Newt pouted, pecking Hermann on the cheek instead. "Don't get me wrong, I'm all for kissing you, but it's warmer on the couch and I'm not sure what to do if you get hypothermia."

"Call yourself a doctor," Hermann murmured, burrowing under a thick woolen throw. "Ugh. When is it Spring?"

"I am a doctor! Just not a medical one. And you get hayfever, Hermann, you complain just as much. At least snow is pretty!"

"But at least I wouldn't _ache_ ," He moaned, flopping his head back. "At least I'd be able to _move_. I'm sorry. I know you love the cold, I'm just-"

Newt pressed a kiss against Hermann's forehead, setting his hot chocolate on a coaster (Hermann's request). "You don't need to apologise. Stay here, okay? I'll be right back."

"Where would I go?" Hermann cupped his hands around his mug, inhaling the steam. "I'd die of exposure without this blanket."

By the time Newt came back to the living room, Hermann's head had lolled onto his shoulder, his eyes drifted half-shut and the TV glowing with a muted newscast. The lamps were switched on, setting the room in a low, pink-gold light and throwing shadows against the walls. Newt slipped in next to him, pressing a kiss to his temple. "Hey, babe. Early holiday present."

Hermann blinked slowly at him. "Hm?"

"Well, less of a gift than a loan, really." Newt pressed something into Hermann's hands. "This is Nigel. He's just been in the microwave."

Nigel stared up with glassy blue eyes, a cartoon grin, and six tiny felt claws. The label read _Beanie Kaiju™_ in tiny letters. When Hermann's thumbs pressed into the toy's tummy, tiny beans moved and shifted inside, radiating heat into the holder's palms. "Oh," Hermann said quietly.

"It's not a lot, but," Newt's mouth twisted upwards, "Until we get the heat fixed, I guess it's better than nothing? You can press him against your joints and stuff, and, I don't know, he's soft." he shrugged. "He got me through some pretty cold nights at the Shatterdome- until I had you to hug, that is."

Hermann blinked. "Newton-" _Oh God, he's being thoughtful and considerate. I have no practice for when he does things like this._ That was a lie, though, and Hermann knew it. Every time Newt did something like this- however small and kaiju-ridden it was- Hermann fell for him that little bit more.

"And if he gets any chalk dust on him, I swear, there will be hell to pay, I've seen your lab-"

"Newton," Hermann places a hand on his chest, leaning forward to kiss him gently. "Thank you. He's wonderful."

"Hey, I can't have my best nerd freezing to death," Newt grabbed for the remote, hopping through the channels. Mostly weather reports, like, _no shit it's snowing_ \- somehow, though, the room didn't seem so cold anymore. "Besides, you'd come back and haunt me. Just floating through the walls, complaining about the temperature."

Hermann curled into Newt's side, Nigel soft and kind between them. "Despite the complete ridiculousness of everything about you, you happen to be my favourite too."

Newt's smile was bright enough to melt all the snow in the world. "I try to be." The TV settled on a festive rerun of _Godzilla Raids Again!,_ and Hermann rolled his eyes without comment. The mugs sat, empty and cool, on the table.

"So can I have a go at the boiler yet?"

" _No!"_

Outside, the snow continued to fall.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This hasn't been beta-read so please let me know if I've made any errors (last year I had a child be born chronologically two years after his mother's death so honestly if I've messed up somewhere it's not a surprise)  
> Please follow me on tumblr (juniperpunk) or twitter (@snakewrites) let's shout about science and homosexuality.
> 
> Please check out the other gifts at pacrimholidayswap.tumblr.com because everything is AWESOME how is our fandom so talented??
> 
> Happy holidays <3 I wish you all the love and light in the world!


End file.
